Even It Up

Neal Bredehoeft's plans are 50-50 this year. That is, 50% of his 2,100 acres to corn and 50% to beans.

“Last year we planted a little more corn, including 100 acres of continuous corn, but the corn on corn didn't yield as well as the other corn, and now the price of beans is moving up. We decided a 50-50 rotation is a better bet again,”says Bredehoeft, who farms with his two brothers at Alma, MO.

In deciding how many acres to plant of each crop, Bredehoeft says they have more success when closer to a 50-50 split of corn and beans. The only thing that would change their minds on planting more corn is if corn prices were higher.

“If strictly looking at price, we'd have to get around $5.50 for corn to go back to a lot of corn acres,” says the former American Soybean Association president. “Right now cash corn around here is in the $4.75-5 range. It'd have to get 50-75¢ higher before we'd make a substantial change.”

With the way the markets are these days, that's a possibility. In fact, the Bredehoefts' row-crop operation has become more profitable than their hog operation, making them wonder if crops are the better route long term. Only time will tell.